How To Build A Geodesic Dome?

Is it possible to keep a man made, self sufficient geodesic dome in space or Mars for an extended amount of time?

• Please account Zero or altered gravity temperature control Water condensation and evaporation Plant growth Essentially would it be possible for a geodesic dome to support life in space or another planet for a long period of time as portrayed in the film Silent Running? What would have to be considered?

• Answer:

  Radiation.  I doubt leaded glass or a similar material that passes light would stop radiation.  So lets assume an outer hull (metal ?) that keeps a radiation barrier intact.  This could be dirt or lunar regolith.  An inner hull that keeps air and water inside.  We should assume the radiation barrier absorbs any collision with a small object. Gravity.  Zero g adds a lot of problems that I would rather avoid.  But what fraction of one g is enough?  Let's say 0.10g is enough to keep water in a coffee cup. Light.  I doubt I could make light bulbs as fast as they burned out.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_tube could be used to move sunlight to where it is needed.  Silent Running was near Saturn.  In this case the sunlight collector area would have to be large.  But if we assume the light tubes need no short term maintenance, we can ignore this.  Plants need a day/night cycle, buts lets ignore this for now. Air, water, plants.  I don't want to maintain a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroponics or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeroponics system.  http://wcmastergardener.org/2013/02/24/53-year-old-terrarium/ shows air, water and plants can survive an extended period with just sunlight.  Without a winter season, I could grow enough plants for food to sustain me and any animals I chose to keep.  A large http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compost heap would recycle a lot. Temperature.  If the craft is rotating to simulate gravity, we can assume it rotates to expose all parts of the craft to sun and shade.  Even so, we might have to radiate waste heat or collect more sunlight to stabilize the temperature.  This is something we can't ignore. Energy.  I want electricity for water pumps, ventilation, cooking, grinding up plant waste for the compost pile. Photovoltaic could be fed by light pipes, but I don't know how long they would last.  All of the machines will need replacing in the long term, but lets assume we have enough machines to serve the short term. Medical.  This is one area I could not handle on my own.  Vitamin C and iodine deficiency are a problem. Clothes, soap, salt, calcium.  Staples that would be hard to recycle. With the exception of gravity, all of this could be simulated on Earth.  See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biosphere_2 and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BIOS-3